Open thread: Man to survey smoking ruins of his credibility in year-end press conference

posted at 1:51 pm on December 20, 2013 by Allahpundit

You know how this goes. The White House says the presser is scheduled for 2 p.m., so figure on 2:40 at the earliest. I’m not sure if there’s any official business or if he’s there simply to field the inevitable “Duck Dynasty” question from the White House press corps. He’ll probably formally announce Max Baucus’s nomination as ambassador to China. He might also announce which recommendations he’ll be adopting from the report issued by the White House’s panel on NSA surveillance. Read this for background if you missed it the other day. It looks like he’s ready to make a few semi-significant changes, if only to end the relentless beating he’s been taking on this issue. Case in point:

A member of the White House review panel on NSA surveillance said he was “absolutely” surprised when he discovered the agency’s lack of evidence that the bulk collection of telephone call records had thwarted any terrorist attacks.

“It was, ‘Huh, hello? What are we doing here?’” said Geoffrey Stone, a University of Chicago law professor, in an interview with NBC News. “The results were very thin.”

While Stone said the mass collection of telephone call records was a “logical program” from the NSA’s perspective, one question the White House panel was seeking to answer was whether it had actually stopped “any [terror attacks] that might have been really big.”

“We found none,” said Stone.

Zero evidence that the metadata program is disrupting attacks — which is exactly what Judge Leon found when he asked the DOJ to give him proof that all of this surveillance was accomplishing something. I think O’s actually in a similar position on the NSA right now as he was on ObamaCare a few years ago insofar as he’s prevented for political reasons from making the argument he really wants to make. The argument he wanted to make on O-Care was, “Yeah, people who can afford it will have to pay a little more for insurance. Covering the sick and the poor is expensive. The middle class will have to give a little to help those less fortunate.” In utopia, though, the state doesn’t force some to lose so that others might win; that’s how we ended up with the “if you like your plan” crapola. Under ObamaCare, everybody wins! On the NSA, I suspect he’d like to say, “Yes, it’s true that we don’t have any major counterterror victories from this process yet, but the technology’s getting better all the time. We will, sooner than you think, reach the point where AI can put pieces of collected data together instantaneously to sniff out terror plots in the making. NASA had to put some rinky dink satellites into orbit before it learned how to go to the moon, right?” He can’t argue that, though, because then everyone would freak out about the feds’ surveillance capabilities heading towards Total Information Awareness and “Minority Report.” So he’s got to stick to the “no, really, it’s working” talking point to defend the program until it finally does produce some concrete achievement to show its critics.

Speaking of which, here’s where we are on the Great Boondoggle as I write this:

I’m surprised HHS decided to roll a grenade into the insurance industry’s tent last night, before O’s presser, rather than wait until this evening after he’s already on his way to Waikiki. Maybe he decided that was a touch too weaselly even for him. Sure, he’ll dump a new load of chaotic “fixes” onto insurers right before Christmas to cover his ass politically and then jet off to Hawaii while they try to pick up the pieces. And yeah, he’ll kneecap his biggest liberal fans by putting a major crack in the individual mandate and setting insurers up for serious adverse selection problems next year now that millions of consumers can opt for cheap “catastrophic coverage” instead. But he won’t do it without giving the press a few minutes to make him squirm on TV. That’s how a responsible leader, who’s now making the law up as he goes along, handles adversity.

Here’s your thread to comment while you watch. Exit question via RB Pundit: If, per the Supreme Court, the mandate is a tax duly enacted by Congress, how can HHS decide unilaterally to suspend it for some consumers?

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This presser is so pathetic. The One with his adoring audience absolutely yearning to believe him…..they are like battered spouses.

olesparkie on December 20, 2013 at 3:07 PM

I think the press is much lower than battered spouses. They’re totally degraded, “lickspittles,” as Shakespeare would call them, groveling at the feet of their perverted Master. They’ve spent so much time licking his feet, his crotch, etc., they’re totally unworthy of the tiniest shred of respect.

Obviously, many of the waivers and delays and promises made on this, like on other laws, are just flat not legal. Unfortunately, until someone can demonstrate actual harm as a result – not theoretical or constitutional harm – they have no standing to challenge it in court.

That’s a good thing, because without the requirement, there are kooks out there who would sue over every perceived slight, and they perceive lots of them. The courts have to control that.

Hear about the CNN idiot’s tough question for Obumbler? “Any New Year’s Resolutions?”

Most folks don’t know that the popular song of the same name was written by a White guy from Honolulu, “Andy” Anderson. He was an evil White Capitalist who turned his hobby of songwriting into a career despite not having any formal composition training.

Obviously, many of the waivers and delays and promises made on this, like on other laws, are just flat not legal. Unfortunately, until someone can demonstrate actual harm as a result – not theoretical or constitutional harm – they have no standing to challenge it in court.

Adjoran on December 20, 2013 at 4:43 PM

That’s what impeachment (and then criminal prosecution after being ejected from office) is for. Congress is given the responsibility to stop un-Constitutional actions by the Executive (or others in the feral government) before actual harm occurs and before such violations of the Constitution (and this Rule by Indonesian Whim is about as bad a violation of the Constitution and the very foundation of our Republic as it gets) are accepted as the normal routine.

Of course, it’s far too latte for this since Barky’s Sukarno-type rule has been allowed for years and is well past merely being accepted as part of our political structure.

He always ducks questions. Now that Phil Robertson is gone, Obama becomes the new king of the Duck Dynasty.

Steve Z on December 20, 2013 at 4:52 PM

Are you kidding? Didn’t you hear the rat-eared wonder’s comments today? He’s madder than anybody about the Healthcare.gov website but other than that this year has been an unqualified success story. Sure he didn’t get all of his legislative agenda through Congress because of those radical right wingers but progress was made. And he’s out there every day fighting for the little guy.

In full disclosure I didn’t see the presser but I didn’t have to. He’s become a predictable whiner. It is as if TOTUS only has one speech.

OT – Federal judge rules Utah same sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. Better get a new topic thread going so the new earth socons have another place to hate. All based, of course, upon a really old book written by, well we’re not sure who, and containing all sorts of actual event stuff like hemorrhoids, talking animals, mass murders, someone occupying a live whale, numerous reanimated walking dead, and a magical place called never never land where you go to live with repentant baby rapers after you die. All quite believable.

I recall hearing a report, back when the Employer mandate was pushed past the 2014 elections, that the text of the ACA read “shall” be in effect on Jan 1, 2014. He blew that one off, now he’s blowing other parts off on a daily basis, Zero is not enforcing the Law Of The Land, and is granting exceptions hafhazrdly. He’s Lawless, Impeach!

The “Chicago Way” implemented with the power of the Federal government.

LETS COOK SOME MORE NUMBERS AS I GO ON MY $4,000,000 TAXPAYER FUNDED VACATION WITH MY MOOCHING SKANK “WIFE”!

the Maobama administration motto: Keep torturing the data until it tells us what they want us to hear!

we’ve been hearing this propaganda BS for 5 pathetic years

Note that the new figures were revised from the previous 3rd quarter estimates. Any such “do over” is always suspect, especially when the administration is experiencing low approval ratings:

“Earlier today, the Bureau of Economic Analysis surprised everyone by
announcing a final Q3 GDP growth of 4.1% compared to 3.6% in the first revision (and 2.8% originally), driven almost entirely by the bounce in Personal Consumption which rose 2.0% compared to estimates of 1.4%. As a result many are wondering just where this “revised” consumption came from. The answer is below: of the $15 billion revised increase in annualized spending, 60% was for healthcare, and another 27% was due to purchases of gasoline. On the flip side, the biggest revision detractors: transportation services and housing and utilities.”

“In other words, the BEA thought long and hard what it could revise
and decided on the following: in Q3 the US economy was revised to the strongest since 2011 because Americans, it would appear, were gassing up more to visit (and pay) their doctor, and then going to the movies.”

“When a month ago, the BEA released its first revision to Q3 GDP, the lament from even the biggest sycophants of data manipulation was that the bounce in estimated Q3 economic output from 2.84% to 3.61% was driven entirely by inventory accumulation, while personal consumption as a % of the final GDP number actually declined from 1.04% to 0.96%.Sequentially, the ever missing personal consumption
was revised up 2% vs the estimated up 1.4%, far above the highest estimate of 1.6%, and also the prior 1.4% print.”

“Which is why absolutely nobody was surprised to see the BEA
mysteriously keep virtually every other GDP component unchanged but boost Personal Consumption Expenditures from 0.96% of GDP to 1.36%. The end result is that the GDP reported in the first revision number has been boosted once again to a simply ludicrous 4.1%, smashing expectations of a 3.6% print. Putting this “revision” in perspective, the final GDP is now 45% higher than the first GDP estimate of 2.84%, and there is a whopping 1.5% delta between the first and final revision, which in our record books is the biggest revision on record.”

I hear King Putt’s voice and I automatically ‘mentally MUTE’ HIM. I’m glad that many other’s here at HA have the fortitude to listen to these circuses and deal with his mealy-mouth ramblings and comment on same.
The Presstitutes just keep digging and digging in the sand trying to shore up his Administration. It will take time but history will deal truthfully with the first (and let us pray, hopefully LAST) Affirmative Action President. It will be strange to see him live long enough to see his legacy disected as the FUBAR that it really is.
Should be both amusing and tragic with the tragedy being the detriment of 300 or so citizens. It will take a LONG time to restore the soul of the press in this nation. Of every entity that I know, they have shamed and soiled themselves most disgracefully.

He always ducks questions. Now that Phil Robertson is gone, Obama becomes the new king of the Duck Dynasty.

Steve Z on December 20, 2013 at 4:52 PM

Are you kidding? Didn’t you hear the rat-eared wonder’s comments today? He’s madder than anybody about the Healthcare.gov website but other than that this year has been an unqualified success story. Sure he didn’t get all of his legislative agenda through Congress because of those radical right wingers but progress was made. And he’s out there every day fighting for the little guy.

In full disclosure I didn’t see the presser but I didn’t have to. He’s become a predictable whiner. It is as if TOTUS only has one speech.

Happy Nomad on December 20, 2013 at 4:59 PM

I didn’t listen to the press conference and actually believed that the bolded part was what was said until I read your last paragraph.

It will take time but history will deal truthfully with the first (and let us pray, hopefully LAST) Affirmative Action President. It will be strange to see him live long enough to see his legacy disected as the FUBAR that it really is.

Missilengr on December 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

He squandered a fantastic opportunity to improve the overall lot of blacks. And with little effort, beyond not being destructive, he could have been remembered as a great president rather than the worst.

It’s as if, rather than Jackie Robinson, major league baseball had picked a common street bum who had never played baseball. And whose subsequent career consisted only of striking out and pilfering from teammates’ lockers.

Pulling the thread of the individual mandate also means that the whole scheme could unravel. Waiving ObamaCare rules for some citizens and continuing to squeeze the individual economic liberties of others by forcing them to buy what the White House now concedes is an unaffordable product is untenable. Mr. Obama is inviting a blanket hardship amnesty for everyone, which is what Republicans should demand.

Why should anyone sign up or pay the fine? Zero is now completely ignoring the law that he demanded the supreme court uphold!

So the GOP can’t repeal it, but Zero and the witch get to play Emily Litella?